As you probably know, I get so disgusted with politicians and their shenanigans, I don’t claim to be on either side of the aisle, and I rarely say good things about them, but I really liked seeing our young President Obama kissing his First Lady (and ours) on the Kiss Cam at the USA Basketball game. It was even more fun realizing their daughter, Malia, promoted it. Apparently, the “Kiss Cam” is a fan-favorite activity at U. S. sporting events.
A few weeks ago, Skechers USA Inc, the “rocker-bottom shape-up toning” shoe people, were required to pay $50 million dollars to settle a lawsuit.
Get this…they were accused of “false advertising” by the Federal Trade Commission. Have you been watching TV lately? Have you noticed the long, tedious, disgusting political ads? I’m already tired of seeing them and it is only mid July. Now wouldn’t it be amazing if politicians had to live up to their advertisements, or be zapped by the Federal Trade Commission for false advertising.
But then, I guess they couldn’t be caught for that because in most of the ads, they are zapping each other instead of telling us what they themselves are going to do. To think that our children and grandchildren are watching all this and discovering how the politicians really find their way to the White House…digging in the dirt (and everybody has dirt) and exaggerating it to denigrate those they oppose. Hmmm.
By the way, it was stated that most of the Skecher lawsuit settlement would go toward partial consumer refunds. Since most people who bought the expensive shoes probably have more money than the average American anyway, wouldn’t it be nice if the money were donated toward the national debt…along with all the lawyer’s fees.
How many of you can relate to discussions about big banks, overseas accounts, incentives, bonuses, and various other references to billions of dollars? It is especially difficult to assess when they talk about “losing” billions. I would love to get a bonus of $30,000 to pay off my mortgage…I don’t need “billions.” My brain doesn’t fathom billions, so it certainly can’t comprehend losing it. I can barely survive losing $20!
It isn’t just the politicians and bankers who speak money language that is beyond me. When a new contract is announced for a sports figure to the tune of $20 million a year, a famous entertainer gets $10 million for a concert, or a CEO gets $44 million in severance pay for being on the job one day, I shake my head. I just don’t hear about very many human beings whose accomplishments are really worthy of ten, twenty, or forty million dollars no matter what they do. Maybe a scientist who has come up with a cure for cancer, or someone else who has done some amazing thing that will actually help mankind live a better or productive life, or maybe a great teacher who has influenced generations, might be worth millions of dollars.
Yesterday I saw the story of a seven-year-old autistic girl who fell from a three-story window. A nearby bus driver caught her in his arms. She was fine but he had a broken shoulder. This dad said he did it because he cherished his own seven-year-old daughter, modestly claiming that anybody would have done it. Funny, they didn’t. Now, there is someone who might actually be worth a million dollars. God Bless until next week.
Minshall’s RVing Alaska and Canada ($19.95) is available thru Amazon. (RVing Adventures with the Silver Gypsy is no longer available.)
At 45, Widow Minshall began 20 years of solo full-time RVing throughout Alaska, Mexico, and Canada. Sharlene canoed the Yukon, mushed sled dogs, worked a dude ranch, visited Hudson Bay polar bears, and lived six months on a Mexican beach. She lectured at Life on Wheels, published six RV-related books and wrote a novel, “Winter in the Wilderness.”
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